Carpe Diem
by Angl
Summary: Five students are transported back in time after an accident with a time-turner. I know there are a lot of these out there, but I just had to write it! HHr, DG, LJ, SOC. So RR!
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter and Co. J.K. Rowling does. **: **b

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**Summary: Five students are transported back in time after an accident with a time-turner. I know there are a lot of these out there, but I just had to write it!**

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**Carpe Diem**

            Five teenagers stood in the middle of an abandoned hallway in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, four facing one. The one that stood alone was a tall boy of 17, with platinum blonde hair, gray eyes and sharp features, none other than Draco Malfoy. Facing him were two boys his age and two girls, one his age and one a year younger. 

            The younger girl was above average height but not quite tall, with fire red hair, brown eyes, and a slim figure. She was Ginny Weasley. The boy standing to her left also had fire red hair. Ron Weasley was taller than all the others, with blue eyes and a lot of freckles. On Ginny's right, there was a girl with bushy, untamable light brown hair and honey colored eyes. She was a bit shorter than average and was carrying a notebook with the name Hermoine Granger on the front, written in her neat handwriting. The last of the four was a boy who was average height with messy black hair and brilliant emerald eyes. The lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead marked him as Harry Potter.

            "Give it here Malfoy!" yelled Harry.

            Draco Malfoy was tossing a small wooded hourglass up in the air and catching it in one hand. "Why should I Potter? Your Mudblood girlfriend can get expelled for losing it for all I care." He sneered nastily. "In fact, it would make the school a lot better if she did."

            Hermoine pointed her wand at the blonde Slytherin. "Give it back, or I'll hex so you'll be in the Hospital Wing for a week." Malfoy's sneer faltered for a moment; for all his arrogance, he knew he was no match for Hermoine Granger when it came to hexes, but it returned a moment later.

            "Fine. If you want it back so bad Mudblood," he emphasized the word, "than come and get it." Malfoy threw the hourglass up into the air. By the time the others realized what had happened, it was too late. The time-turner hit the ground hard and cracked. There was a moment of silence as the teenagers breathed a sigh of relief.

            "You could've killed us!" Hermoine exclaimed. "Anything could've happened! Time-turners are very—," her words were cut off as a sudden bright light flashed from the crack in the hourglass, enveloping all five of the students. Then just as quickly as it came, the light was gone, leaving the hall empty except for a small, cracked hourglass.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            7th year Arabella Figg, a tall girl with black hair and gray-blue eyes, was currently standing in a hallway in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry having another face off with her greatest enemy, Sirius Black. Sirius was tall with shaggy black hair and dark brown eyes. He was also the bane of her existence. She argued with him over another of his pranks while their friends looked on. 

            Lily Evans was Arabella's best friend. She was average height and had red hair and emerald eyes. She was whispering to a boy that was average height and had untamable black hair and bright blue eyes. Her boyfriend, James Potter. On the other side of the hall were two boys, one tall with light brown hair and hazel eyes that always looked tired. He was Remus Lupin. The other boy was short and fat, with features that reminded people of a rat. His name was Peter Pettigrew.

            "You are so immature sometimes Sirius!" yelled Arabella.

            "What do you mean I'm immature? Half the time you join in on the pranks!" Sirius shot back incredulously. Before Arabella could reply, a blinding white light appeared above her head, depositing five figures on top of her. 

            "Bella!" Despite their arguing, Sirius was the first to start hauling people out of the way to reach the shocked young woman underneath. As he pulled her to her feet by her waist, she grabbed onto his arms to keep her balance, her mouth still hanging open as she stared at the five teenagers who were starting to sit up, holding their heads. Sirius couldn't resist whispering in her ear, "That's not a very attractive look on you Arabella." She snapped her mouth shut and glared at him before turning to look at the people that had fallen on her, shaking herself free of Sirius' grip.

            There were three boys, one with blonde hair, one with black hair and one with red hair; and there were two girls, one with red hair and one with red hair.

            The boy with red hair was standing up now, and glaring at the blonde boy. "You could've bloody killed us you stupid git! What were you thinking?! Throwing a time-turner! You're lucky were even alive!" The blonde boy simply glared up at him from his place on the floor.

            "Ron, shut up," said the red haired girl. "What happened? Hermoine?" The only person who hadn't moved yet was the girl with the light brown hair. When the other's realized she was unconscious they were at her side in a heartbeat, all except the boy with the blonde hair. He started looking around and noticed them watching. Sirius abruptly realized that he looked an awful lot like Lucius Malfoy.

            The boy with the black hair was shaking the girls shoulders gently. "Hermoine? Moine, wake up." The girl's eyes fluttered open.

            "Harry? What happened?" The boy smiled.

            "We were hoping you could tell us." 

            The boy who looked like Lucius Malfoy cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt this love fest," he said sarcastically, "but we have company." He gestured to Sirius and the others. The others looked, and the only person whose mouth didn't fall open belonged to the red headed girl. She screamed.

            The brown haired girl—Hermoine—clamped a hand over her mouth. "Be quiet Ginny! Calm down." Ginny's eyes were wide with fear. And she was staring at Sirius.

            James cleared his throat. "Umm…who, exactly, are you?" Lily nodded beside him. The blonde boy opened his mouth to answer, but Hermoine cut him off.

            "We'll be right back." She grabbed Harry's robes and pulled him up the hallway a little ways. He had to be pulled, as he was staring open-mouthed at James and Lily. The blonde followed grudgingly.

            The group didn't go far enough though, as their echoes could still be heard.

            "What happened?"

            "You broke a time-turner you prat."

            "I know that. What happened after that?"

            "There was a bright light and—,"

            "I know _that._ Where are we?"

            "This is the same hall we were in earlier. I'm sure about that."

            "But…?"

            "I think it's a different time period. A time when Harry's parents and Professor Lupin were still at Hogwarts." Remus mouthed the word 'professor'.

            "So we went back in time?"

            "Exactly."

            "But time-turners can only go back in time a few hours, not years."

            "_Working_ time-turners can only go back in time a few hours. Broken ones can do anything from kill you to…anything really. The few cases where anything did happen were all different. They're completely unpredictable."

            "So what do we do?"

            "We can't let them know the truth. Normally we'd have to avoid being see, but its to late for that."

            "What do we tell them? We fell on top of the girl for Merlin's sake!"

            "I haven't the foggiest."

            "Great. If the Mudblood doesn't know what to do, we're all doomed." Sirius cast a glance at Lily. She looked ready to kill. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was the word 'Mudblood'.

            "Malfoy, if you don't shut up…"

            "What? You'll finish your sentences? Or maybe you'll sic scar-head on me. I'm so scared."

            "Will you two shut up? Now is _not_ the time to argue. As much as we don't want to, we have to work together for once. We need a story. If we get out of this without to much trouble, I promises to let you fight when we get back home."

            "You have three boys fighting over you Hermoine."

            "That's not funny Ginny."

            "As if I'd ever even go near the Mudblood."

            "I'm warning you Malfoy, one more word and I'll make you curse the day you were born."

            "Ron, stop trying to defend me. Harry snap out of it, and Ginny, if you don't stop giggling, I'm going to hex you!" Sirius realized that during the whole conversation, Harry had been staring at James and Lily through a gap in the circle. Now that he could see the boy's face, he realized how much he looked like James. 

            Arabella was beginning to get impatient, which wasn't unusual. In fact, it was a miracle she lasted this long. She decided to break up their conversation with, "Sorry to interrupt your little plotting session, but I want some answers."

            When the five returned to them, Ginny had stopped giggling and was eying Sirius warily, and Harry had stopped staring at James and Lily, but every few seconds his eyes would flick in their direction. Malfoy was scowling.

            "Now, who are you?" James asked again. "And don't try lying, we heard you talking."

            "Do you really come from the future?" squeaked Peter.

            "No Peter. They're aliens," Remus answered sarcastically. Peter looked frightened.

            The blonde boy stepped forward first. "My name is Draco Malfoy."

            Hermoine sighed in defeat. "My name is Hermoine Granger. This is Ginny Weasley, and that's her brother Ron." She didn't introduce Harry. 

            "I-I'm Harry."

            "Do you have a last name Harry?"

            "Potter."


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I OWN NOTHING!!! Well I own some things, but not Harry Potter.

**Doneril: **Gee. I so know what that word means too.

**Mel:** I'm a bit scared of you. But not much. I've received worse, more specific threats before. Plus the chances of your friends being able to find me are very slim.

**Another:** Mine story doesn't belong in a landfill!! Yay!

**Moon Princess:** The next chapter comes out now.

**Amy: **Read and find out!

**Tara:** Right now!! Obviously.

**Twyster:** What kind of word is lurv? Anyway.

**Heaven:** I can't believe I did that!! But I would like to point out that Hermione doesn't actually appear on the spell check. And I have a few choice words for Peter too. Unfortunately I don't think I can use them, as the story is rated PG-13, not R.

**Variana Croft:** Did the frog turn into a prince? If it did, I'll have to try that. My prince is avoiding me.

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Wow, I left you speechless? I'll try not to do that again. ; )

**PuppyLover3: **Sorry? Wait! No I'm not!

**Jul:** I will. I promise. Scouts honor. (Like I'm a scout.)

Carpe Diem 

             Arabella Figg was never one to lose her composure, other than impatience. She was almost always impatient. Which was one of the reasons she always got away with whatever pranks she might have played. So of course, when a strange boy from the future that looks almost exactly like her friend James Potter announces his name to be Harry Potter, its only natural to assume she would remain perfectly calm, right? Wrong. The thought of James—immature, irresponsible James—with a kid, was nearly unthinkable. Which made no sense; if it were unthinkable it wouldn't be a thought. Obviously. _Right. Back on track Bell._ She snapped her jaw shut.

            Looking around, she noticed that she wasn't the only one to have these thoughts. James himself was looking at the boy strangely, as was Lily. Remus seemed to be contemplating something and Sirius seemed torn between amusement and shock. Peter hadn't made the connection. They stood in silence for a moment, the 'future people', as Bella had decided to call them, shifting awkwardly. Except the Malfoy boy. _Malfoys_ don't do awkward. A few minutes later, the silence was broken by a gasp from Peter.

            "Does that mean your related to James?" he asked excitedly, obviously thinking he was the first one to figure it out.

            "No, Peter. We're standing here because he's related to Elvis." Arabella really didn't like Peter. Almost as much as she really didn't like Sirius. She wasn't sure why though. Maybe it was because he was always following James, Remus and Sirius around like a puppy. Though if truth be told, she didn't really know why she didn't like Sirius either.

            Peter looked very confused at this point. "Who?"

            "Don't be a prat Peter. Of course he's related to James. They could practically be twins."

            "Then who's Elvis?"

            Arabella groaned inwardly, elbowing Sirius who was snickering behind her, and said through clenched teeth, "Never mind, Peter." She turned her attention back to the 'future people'. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were glaring at Peter.

            "So what are you? His son? Grandson?" Sirius asked.

            Harry shot a nervous glance to Hermione, and she gave him a resigned look. He was about to answer, when Remus interrupted.

"No. Don't tell us. We shouldn't know anything about the future." Lily nodded in reluctant agreement, and Arabella was inclined to agree. She was curious, but Remus was right. Out of all the Marauders, she had always liked Remus the best.

            "Maybe we should take them to Dumbledore," Lily suggested.

            The others agreed, and the group started towards the gargoyle that concealed the headmaster's office.

            When they arrived, Lily inquired, "Anyone know the password?"

            "Lil! Your Head-girl! You're supposed to know the password!" James exclaimed.

            "Well I forgot. It's not like I ever have to come here. You'd think you would know the password. You're here often enough." James groaned in response.

            "It's a candy," said Harry. "It's always a candy."

            James glanced at him sideways while the others named candies. "Do you get in trouble a lot Harry?"

            Harry grinned. "Not Marauder trouble." Sirius and James laughed.

            "Is there any other kind of trouble?" This time Harry's smile was sad.

            "The kind that finds you."

            Out of exasperation, Arabella said, "MARS BARS," rather loudly and the gargoyle leapt aside.

            "Mars Bars? What was he thinking?" Lily asked the air.

            They trooped up the stairs, and Remus knocked on the door. Upon hearing a call of  "Come in" he pushed it open and led the way into the room. Sitting behind a rather messy desk was an old man with silver hair and beard, nearly long enough to tuck into his belt. Bright blue eyes sparkled knowingly behind half-moon spectacles that sat on a rather crooked nose.

            "Please, sit down." He gestured to the chairs in front of the desk and conjured a few more for them to sit in. If he noticed that five of them weren't his students, he didn't mention it. "What can I help you with?"

            The five exchanged glances, and Hermoine began explaining what happened, from the broken time-turner, to when they arrived in his office, although she left out a good deal. She seemed eager to let him know they hadn't _meant_ to break any rules. When she was done, the old man nodded thoughtfully.

            "I think— I think you should attend classes with the other students. You'll be put into the Houses you were in, in your own time. You'll attend classes until we can find a way to send you home. You'll have to change your names though. Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, your last name can be Wesley. Mr. Malfoy, your last name can be…Malloy. Miss Granger, as you are Muggle-born, your name can remain the same, as can yours Mr. Potter. No one will believe you aren't related to our Mr. Potter. But you'll have to pretend to be his cousin. Now, you can all go back to your common rooms. I'll have beds brought up. Mr. Malloy, wait here, I'll have your head of house escort you to your common room."

            Draco nodded and the rest of the group left, headed towards the Gryffindor dormitories.


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** Do I look like J.K. Rowling to you?

Okay, I just read the fifth book, and a few things are different than I originally planed them. For example, James has hazel eyes not blue. A few other things happened that I won't mention, but I had to re-plan a lot of the story around it. So if the story seems a little off balance for a while, it's because I'm trying to write the story without giving away what happened in the fifth book to people who haven't read it yet. Once I think enough time has passed for most people too have read the book, I'll start saying things straight out. 

If you have read the book and you see something in the first two chapters that doesn't really fit in, please remember that it was written before the release of the fifth book.

            I would also like to apologize for the lack of updates lately, but I had to study for evil end-of-year exams. Now that school is over, I should have plenty of time to write.

**Volley Ball Chicka:** Sorry it wasn't next week. I wanted to wait until I read Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix. Which I now have.

**Moon Princess:** I like weird. Weird is good.

**Me:** Well I guess you don't have to wait any longer

**Aquagurl13:** Would you like your eye back?

**Twyster:** Is lurv a word?

**Angel Dust:** My couples are the best? Yay!!!

**lydz:** Yes Sir! Right away Sir! (Or ma'am)

**Miss Shirley-Blythe:** Okie-Dokie.

**Mel:** You're not losing your touch, I'm just used to death threats. I have a murderous best friend. If I had thought of the Wheazey before, I would've used that name. And who doesn't love Dobby?

**Doneril:** It's called sarcasm. I confuse everybody, don't worry about it. Why would I be all slashy or Harry-must-die-and-kill-Voldemort-ish? If a character ever gave a sign of liking the same sex, I would probably be slashy with them. (Well _that_ sounded wrong. You know what I mean.) And in one of my stories, Harry _did_ die and kill Voldemort. 

**Atlant-avalon1.1:** Atlanta: I'll just have to try harder won't I?

                               Avalon: I'll try.

**kittykat52788:** =^_^=

**Tara:** What would a time travel story be without a Snape encounter? And what would a school be without classes?

Carpe Diem 

            Immediately after reaching the common room (which looked the same as ever) Harry, Ron and Ginny were pulled aside by Hermione.

            "Remember, not a word about what happens to them in the future," Harry had known that he couldn't warn his parents and Sirius, but to hear Hermione say it crushed the hopes he hadn't even know existed. His disappointment must have shown on his face because Hermione shot him a sympathetic glance. "I know you want to Harry, but think of how it would effect everything that happens in the future. Including your defeat of Voldemort."

            "Our defeat," he said automatically and Hermione nodded slightly. He may have been the one to deliver the final blow to Voldemort at the end of their sixth year, but he never could have done it without the support of his friends. 

            He could feel the eyes of his parents and their friends on his back. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he saw them looking at him and the others with curious eyes, whispering quietly to one another, though he noticed when Arabella and Sirius accidentally bumped heads in their whispering, they straightened and glared at each other fiercely. Vaguely, he wondered who Arabella was. She was much to young to be the same Arabella Figg that had looked after him when he was younger.

            Turning his attention back to his friends, Harry sighed. "I know, I know. I've heard it before, remember Mione?" Hermione blushed faintly; she seemed to do that whenever he called her 'Mione'. He and Ron were the only people she allowed to call her nicknames, but whenever Ron called her 'Hermy' (which was his nickname for her) Harry could tell she just barely tolerated it. "I just hope Malfoy is smart enough to keep his mouth shut. I could just see him warning his father about his arrest."

            "I don't think he's that stupid," put in Ginny. "He may be a git, but he knows how much trouble he'd be in. Besides, I don't think he really agrees with what his father did, anymore."

            "Lets hope so." 

            A sudden yelp from behind them turned the little group around, where Arabella was glaring at Sirius and her hand was hovering beside her robe pocket, where Harry suspected her wand was probably located, and Sirius doubled over in laughter.

            "It—It wasn't—me!" he managed to gasp out between gales of laughter while the others tried to keep a straight face. 

            "I really don't see what you think is so funny Black! Its really just—"

            "Oh so I'm Black now am I?" Sirius had stopped laughing, but he still had tears of laughter in his eyes. "I haven't been Black for—what?—three or four months?—I must be losing my touch." Harry was overjoyed to see his Godfather laugh. He hadn't heard that barking laugh in almost two years, not since the Christmas before… Harry cut of his train of thought. He didn't want to think about what had happened, not when the pain was just starting to lessen.

            "What happened?" asked Hermione anxiously.

            "He pinched me!" Arabella cried indignantly.

            "I did not!" protested Sirius. "It was a spell," he added matter-of-factly.

            "The effects still the same! It still _felt_ like you pinched me! That's what counts."

            "Now, now children. Lets stop flirting, shall we?" said Remus, who immediately looked like he regretted opening his mouth as both Sirius and Arabella turned glares at him and shouted, "WE ARE NOT FLIRTING!" at the same time before exchanging astonished glares and storming in opposite directions towards their respective dormitories. 

            Once both doors had slammed shut, Lily broke into a fit of giggles while James smirked and Remus looked a bit frightened. Peter was snoring on the couch.

            "What was that about?" asked Ginny.

            "I probably shouldn't have said that in front of Bell," said Remus more to himself than to the others. "I'll be 'Lupin' for weeks, and when she calls you by your surname…"he shuddered slightly, "…she's worse than Sirius."

            "Moony, my friend, I advise you to sleep with your eyes open for long, _long_, while. Bella can hold a grudge," James said the last bit in a tone that suggested he knew from experience.

            "Well, it's the truth isn't it? They don't realize it, but they've been flirting since third year!"

            "Actually, when you think about it, they've been flirting since around Christmas of our first year," said Lily, who had stopped giggling. "They were just much nicer about it."

            "Well, we have classes tomorrow, and I would like to get some sleep before Bell has time to plan anything."

            "She can't possibly be that bad, can she?" questioned Ginny.

            "Obviously you've never met her in the future. I wonder why? The only time she's not with Lily is when she's on a date." Ginny and Harry exchanged a glance.

            "We know an Arabella Figg, but they can't be the same person. Mrs. Figg is a Squib," Ron said bluntly.

            "That would be our Bella's mother. A nutter with a load of cats?" said James. Harry nodded, but Hermione didn't seem too pleased.

            "Harry! Mrs. Figg has saved your life at least—" she cut off at the curious looks of the others. "Never mind," she finished lamely. There was a moment of awkward silence that was only broken when Peter suddenly started awake.

            "Wha'd I miss?" he asked blearily.

            Remus shook his head. "Nothing Peter. C'mon, lets go to bed. We have potions first thing tomorrow morning." Ron groaned, but turned obediently and went up to the seventh year boys' dormitory, Harry right behind him. They found that two extra beds had been placed in the room, with spare pajamas folded neatly at the foot of each. The boys changed silently and climbed into bed, the air practically sparkling with curiosity. 

            Harry lay awake long after the other boys' breathing had slowed, his mind whirling with all the fantasies he had ever had about talking to his parents and Godfather again. Finally, he fell into a fitful sleep filled with green light and mad, high-pitched laughter.__


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. If  I did, it wouldn't be nearly so popular. 

Sorry about the lack of updates this summer, but I have been at my Grandmother's house for a while, and she doesn't have Microsoft Word. This chapter might be a bit short because my plot line got a little…shall I say…thin?  And I'm basically just righting whatever until I can get to a point where I have a plan. But this is where I have the first classes. I hope to get some emotional issues out of the way soon, too.

**Tara:** =^-^=

**Aquagurl13:** Longer. Got it. Hopefully.

**Mel:** I almost feel bad for your friends.

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Yes, my hints give away _so_ little, don't they?

**amy:** Like I said above; sorry about the lack of updates.

**TaioraCrazedGirl:** Thanks! I will.

**Twyster:** I'm serious; lurve is not a word!!! ;-)

**Moon Princess:** Umm… You probably don't consider this soon do you?

**Volley Ball Chicka:** In this story it's like November so the quidditch team already has all it's players. I suppose I could make the Seeker injured, but James is actually a chaser in the books, so he's a chaser in my story. I'll think about it.

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Carpe Diem 

The next morning dawned bright and early. Well, it was early anyways. The sky was dark with clouds, promising a downpour before breakfast ended. Ron and Harry had bundles wrapped in brown paper that, once peeled away, revealed all the school supplies they would need for their classes. After getting dressed, they met Hermione in the common room, where she was already looking through her books.

"Well, these are _completely_ outdated," she exclaimed quietly.

"I wonder why that could be," Ron said sarcastically, which earned him an exasperated look from Hermione.

"I know Ron. I was just saying how much more the Wizarding world has learned in our time."

"Why don't we go down to breakfast," Harry suggested when Ron looked about to retort. They really did fight about the stupidest things. They agreed and the trio went down to the Great Hall, which looked exactly like it did in their own time, the only difference being that there weren't any of the familiar faces Harry had lived with the last seven years. Well, almost none. Ginny was already sitting at the table, deep in conversation with Arabella, and Malfoy was at the Slytherin table, for once sitting alone at the end of the table. 

The trio received several curious looks from the few students who noticed three new students walking into the Great Hall, but they were ignored for the most part. As Harry sat down, he noticed the absence of the Marauders. Most likely off getting in trouble. His mother was sitting next to a blonde girl with a round, friendly face that he immediately identified as  the future Alice Longbottom. Hermione caught his look.

"I met her last night. She's such a lovely person; I can't believe she's the same woman we saw at St. Mungo's," she whispered sadly. Harry nodded and Alastor Moody's words from two years ago came back to him—_Better dead than what happened to them_. It surprised him that Neville's parents saddened him more than his own did, but Moody was right. His parents were dead and had been for seventeen years, he had dealt with that and moved on in a way; Alice and Frank Longbottom had been tortured to insanity.

At that moment, the doors to the Hall burst open, revealing a boy with greasy black hair and a hooked nose that practically screamed 'Severus Snape'. His skin was also a violent shade of red. Harry stared, dumbfounded as he walked smoothly to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Malfoy, ignoring the laughter that echoed through the large room, and the dumbfounded look of the blonde boy. Suddenly, Ron burst out laughing, and Harry was inclined to join him, while even Hermione had to fight a smile.

"Like Snivellus' new look?" Harry started as the voice of Peter Pettigrew sounded from behind him and he had to force down a wave of hatred. Standing behind him was the man who had caused the deaths of his parents and others, and he was making jokes! Ron's face betrayed a similar emotion, while Hermione's was unnaturally smooth. Harry turned around and forced a grin.

"Not something we see too often. I'm not sure red is his color though." He heard either Ron or Hermione take a deep breath; he wasn't sure which. 

"Personally, I like neon pink better, but we used that last time," commented Sirius, wearing a grin like the one he wore at Harry's parent's wedding. Harry's own smile suddenly wasn't so forced. "Ah, well, we can always use it next time I suppose."

"This is our weekly ritual," said Remus. "Every Wednesday, Snivellus gets a makeover. This is just a regular one though. You should see it when Bella does some of her fancy wand work. He gets make up and new clothes and everything. Lets just say, Snape makes a _very_ nice ballerina." 

"No he doesn't!" James cried. "I had nightmares for days after that!"

"Well, it's not _my_ fault," protested Arabella, who had stopped her conversation with Ginny to listen. "Peter requested it, so you can blame him for his sick mind. Besides, must I remind you that he _ran_ back to whatever hole he hides in?"

Their conversation was cut short as Dumbledore stood from his seat at the head table. The Gryffindors scrambled for seats while a hush fell over the room. "I would like to announce the arrival of five new students to Hogwarts. Ronald and Virginia Wesley, Draco Malloy, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter. I trust you will all make them feel welcome." With that he promptly sat back down and the Hall quickly filled with noise once again.

The girl who looked so much like Neville reached across the table to shake hands with Ron. "My names Alice Reynolds. It's nice to met you."

"Ron Wea—err Wesley."

"I figured," she giggled slightly, not noticing his pause, "you look so much like Ginny!"

"I'm Harry Potter," it felt strange for Harry to have to introduce himself. In seven years, he had been more inclined to hide who he was than to introduce himself.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." Alice turned away to talk to a brown haired boy Harry recognized as Frank Longbottom. 

~*~*~*~*~*

Harry sat at a desk in the dark potions room, contemplating how to get out of this. The Gryffindors had potions with the Slytherins, (to which Ron remarked, "They sure don't have much imagination when it comes to the schedules do they?") and the Potions professor, Professor Vallian, was in favor of 'inter-house relations' and insisted that every Gryffindor was seated next to a Slytherin. Harry was sandwiched between Lucius Malfoy and some one named Terry Brooks. And trying very hard not to hex Malfoy Sr. who was making snide remarks every time the teacher turned her back. Not to mention they were going over potions he had covered in fifth year.

All in all, it didn't make for a fun, or even remotely interesting time. When they bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, he all but ran from the room, followed closely by Ron, and even Hermione was walking rather quickly. At least he had his friends. Harry suddenly felt a surge of pity for Ginny.

~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: What do you think? Review and you can yell at me for the shortness and for the long wait between updates all you want. Constructive critisism is always welcomed as well.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, and I never will…unfortunately.

**hpdancer92:** Keep your pants on…jeez…

**LiZz:** I'm proud.

**Aquagurl13:** I'm _really_ sorry about the lack of updates. I'll try to fix it. As for re-reading the books, I have re-read OotP, but I don't own the other ones. This chapter is Draco, and maybe a little Ginny. Grandmothers was torture by the way…

**Moon Princess:** The romance is coming, don't worry. And you'll always be Moon Princess to me. Besides 6 is my number, so I can't let you have it. Well technically my number is 666, but…

****

**volley ball chika:** No, in the fifth book, it says he stole the snitch, not that he was a seeker. I'm pretty sure it says he's a chaser in the first or second book, but it has been several months since the Librarian would let me get the books out…

**Mel:** The duel…shall happen! Soon! In this chapter or the next one. Or maybe the one after that… *sets mouse traps and lets loose a cat. Die rat-boy! Die!*

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Have I ever told you that you have a really nice evil grin?

I feel bad. Usually I average about 12 reviews for this story, but I got only 7 this chapter, and 9 on the one before. I seem to be losing my audience. I guess that's what happens when you go into temporary hiatus. Oh well. Like they say (Anybody know who 'they' are?), the show must go on. O story in this case.

Carpe Diem 

            For the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy was alone. He knew why, too. All because _Dumbledore_ told him he had to use a different last name. He was supposedly a pure blood whose family no one had ever heard of, so the Slytherins wouldn't associate with him, and the rest of the school wouldn't because he was a Slytherin. Not that most of the school had ever talked to him, but he had always been able to count on Crabbe and Goyle being there to rant to at least. And right now he was in the mood to rant.

            The day hadn't started off well. He had been scorned by, of all people, _his own father._ And when a Malfoy scorns someone, all Slytherins scorn them. He supposed if he wanted to, he could befriend Snape, but he had never really liked the potions professor. And while his episode at breakfast was something of a conversation starter, it was highly unfavorable. Then, he found out the Potions professor didn't favor Slytherin like Snape did, but instead was in favor of _inter-house relations._ He had been stuck between a blonde girl he didn't know and the wall. And she had tried to _talk_ to him. It was extremely annoying. Transfiguration hadn't been any better, as he was paired with a Hufflepuff who could barely tell one end of his wand from the other. Malfoy had spent the rest of the after noon in the Hospital Wing. Now he was walking across the Hogwarts grounds, Madame Pomfrey having healed the boils, and he was in a very foul mood indeed.

            As he walked near the edge of the lake, a blur of red caught his attention. The littlest Weasley. Well, if he couldn't rant, he might as well vent his frustrations through teasing the Weaselette.

            She was lying on her stomach facing the lake surrounded by books and parchment, with her legs crossed at the ankles, swinging them back and forth, and humming something. Draco vaguely wondered how she could be so cheerful. She stopped writing for a second and put the end of the quill in her mouth, then hurriedly took it out when she realized there was ink on it. Draco snorted and she looked over her shoulder at him.

            "What are you looking at?" she asked, rolling her eyes. Her smirked and allowed his eyes to travel up and down her body.

            "Not much. You know little Weasel, we are stuck in the past, and you actually seem to be having _fun_ somehow."

            "Well we wouldn't _be_ stuck in the past at all if it wasn't for _you_ Draco Malfoy. And I've decided to make the best of things. We're in a time when our parents were younger and we weren't born yet. Not to mention the schoolwork is all extremely easy. It easy to have fun."

            Draco just stared at her. Easy to have fun? She was one to talk. She was a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors didn't care about things like blood. They didn't care whether they were sitting next to a Mudblood or not.

            After a moment of uncomfortable silence, the Weaselette gathered her things and stood up, saying, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go do my homework." Draco shook his head as she walked away. She was the strangest of all the Weasels. Then he realized he hadn't actually done any teasing.

~*~*~*~*~*

            Ginny walked away from Malfoy feeling proud of herself. He had only gotten one insult, and she had done most of the talking. Much better than usual. This day was turning out to be quite fun. She had known all the answers in Charms, and made some friends in her dorm. She had met Alice Reynolds (Longbottom) and, despite her initial feeling of sadness, they had had a nice conversation. Ginny vowed to herself that she would get to know the young woman so she could tell Neville all about her when they got back.

            If they got back. 

            Ginny wasn't stupid. She knew that this had never happened before, and it was nearly impossible to send someone into the future, more than a few minutes, and even that was extremely hard and very nearly illegal. 

            She knew she was just putting a cheerful face on things. She had been here less than one day and she already missed her friends and Dean, her boyfriend of two years. What if they couldn't get back? Would they just live their lives in this time? Actually watch themselves be born?

            _Stop that,_ she thought to herself, _if anyone can get us home its Dumbledore. Besides, you should be thinking about Harry right now._ That thought left a knot in her stomach. She had come to think of him a brother, and she knew how much it must hurt him to be surrounded by people he knew would die, and not be able to do anything about it.

            Her cheery mood now completely gone, Ginny entered the Gryffindor common room.


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I never said I owned Harry Potter, now did I?

**Volley Ball Chika:** Yeah, well, guess what? It's fan fiction, so I say he's a chaser. I've read a lot of fics where he was a chaser, so I'm making him a chaser.

**Aquagurl13:** Yes, it will be D/G. I don't know how soon, but eventually.

**Lady Of Light 4 the elves:** Lord of the rings fan?

**hpdancer:** Okay, anyone who knows me knows the word soon isn't really in my vocabulary.

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Suffering is something I'm good at.

**amy:** You know, I think my chapters _are_ getting shorter…

**Moon Princess:** =^_^=

**LiZz:** Ah, I do so love to torture people…

**jandl:** Thank ya kindly.

**Sarah L. Padfoot:** Patience is a virtue.

Acacia Jules: Because Lucius Malfoy doesn't know about the people from the future, and it would be a bad thing if a Malfoy that he'd never heard of showed up in Hogwarts because if the Malfoys are anything like the Blacks were, they would keep tabs on their family members…Plus I wanted to torture Draco a bit. 

**Doneril:** I'm still writing…

If anyone else reviewed, I'm sorry but my e-mail has been messed up and I didn't receive them.

This chapter I'm gonna try to write about the Marauders, Lily and Arabella. People I haven't already written about, so I can get the feelings and stuff out of the way and move on to the events!!

Carpe Diem 

****

            "BLACK!"

            Sirius swallowed hard. What did he do this time? He couldn't think of anything…and apparently he wasn't the only one wondering.

            "What'd you do Padfoot?" James asked. Sirius shrugged and turned to face the direction the shout had come from…and burst out laughing. Arabella stood there completely covered in little, green tentacles.

            "I—I didn't—do it," Sirius managed to gasp out between laughs.

            "I know you didn't do it you git," she snapped. "But your _brother_ did."

            "So why are you yelling at me?"

            "Because I have this whole thing with McGonagall where if I get caught cursing anyone in your family one more time, she'll take away my Hogsmede privileges. Oh, yeah, and did I forget, he's _your_ brother!"

            "Alright, next time I see the git, I'll curse him until he runs crying to Mother, alright?"

            "Thank you," she then turned on her heel and strode off in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

            As soon as she was out of sight, Sirius turned to James and asked, "If she's not allowed to curse anyone in my family, why does she still curse me?" James just laughed in response. 

*~*~*~*~*~

            Remus was wandering the halls, alone, just thinking. About the people from the future, mostly. He was the most observant of the Marauders, and while the other may not have noticed how all but the Malfoy boy looked at James, Lily and Sirius like they were ghosts, he did. And how they looked at Peter with something he could only describe as hate. Or at least strong dislike. 

            It scared him.

            What happens in the future to make them act like that? Did James, Lily and Sirius, Merlin forbid, die? If they did, how? Why? And why would they hate Peter? Sure he wasn't overly liked by most people, but he was still a loyal friend. And he couldn't think of Peter doing anything that would make anyone hate him. 

            Remus sighed and hoped there was a logical explanation, and that no harm befell his friends in the future.

*~*~*~*~*~

            Lily sat in the library, working on an essay for advanced Charms about the uses of a Protean Charm. When she finished, she put her things away and began the walk to the Gryffindor common room.

            As she walked, she thought about Harry. Harry Potter, her son. Of course, he never actually said she was his mother, but he had her eyes. Nobody else had eyes like hers.

            Lily wasn't sure how she felt about that. In the future she would have a son with James. She sighed. The only reason Lily had gone on a date with him at all was so he would stop asking her out. And then she realized that there was more to him than the prankster she had always seen, so she went on more dates with him. She liked him a lot, but did she love him? 

            Lily sighed again. She just wasn't sure.

*~*~*~*~*~

            "Evil little git," Arabella muttered to herself. She was sitting in the Hospital Wing, waiting for Madame Pomfrey to finish mending a fourth year Hufflepuff's leg. "Stupid Regulus Black…I swear when school is over…just wait till the train ride home…"

            "Alright Miss Fig. It's your turn."

            Arabella waited as Madame Pomfrey performed a counter curse, then left the blinding whiteness of the Hospital Wing behind as she left for the Gryffindor common room. She still had a potions essay to do and she had to practice shield charms for Defense Against the Dark Arts. She just wanted to fall into bed and stay there for a year or eight. She reached the portrait and gave the password, then collapsed on a couch in front of the fireplace.

            Pulling out her potions book, she was about to start on her potions essay when she noticed a speck of red sticking up from above one of the chairs to her left. Getting up, she walked over to it and found Ginny sitting there, staring off into space.

            "Hey, you okay?" The younger girl jumped.

            "Huh?—Oh, yeah. I'm okay, just thinking."

            "`Bout what?" Arabella asked, eager to put off homework.

            She seemed to consider her answer for a moment. "Not much, just…my friends. And my boyfriend. I miss them."

            Arabella smiled. She felt sorry for this girl. What would she do if she were pulled into the past? Probably have a mental breakdown. "You'll be back home in no time. You'll see. Dumbledore can do anything."

            Ginny smiled brightly. "Thanks."

            Arabella went back to her homework, and when Lily came in, went to bed.

*~*~*~*~*~

            In a dark corridor on the 7th floor, the unconscious form of Peter Pettigrew was slumped in a broom closet, where he had been stuffed after a group of Slytherins led by Lucius Malfoy had gotten through with him.

*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Hehe…torture Peter…die Peter die! *notices people* um…ahem…anyways…you cant tell me you didn't want something like that to happen! Now be nice and review `cause my Physiatrist says reviews boost my confidence and make me less dangerous to those around me.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do so wish I owned Harry Potter, but, alas, I do not.

**LiZz:** I have a tendency of forgetting to write, so…yeah…

**Mel:** I thought you'd like that…. And just because my physiatrist says doesn't mean its right. And I had to think of _something_ to do with Peter! So I thought I might have some fun. ^_^ 

**Volley Ball Chika:** Well, I don't really care. He's a seeker! Ha!

1. No, he wasn't.

2. If you were Lucius Malfoy, and you knew you're life depended on your family keeping quite, would YOU discuss details of your work with your son? After all, teenagers do stupid things sometimes.

3. Yes, he did. Regulus Black. Chapter 6 page 112 of the American version of Order of the Phoenix. I looked it up for you.

**4. **Well, if a kid showed up claiming to be my son my first thought would be how the Hell I EVER let that happen. My next would be how the Hell did it survive without being strangled by me before it turned 2 weeks old. But seriously, I'm 14 and I've never had so much as a boyfriend. And feelings are NOT my strong point. But next time I need to write a touchy-feely kinda moment, I'll get help, okay?****

**Moon Princess:** I'm sorry. I get sidetracked easily… and the H/HR stuff begins….when I feel like writing it? Don't hurt me.

**Aquagurl13:** Yes, there should be major PP torture in the future…I really don't like him.

**hpdancer92:** =^_^=

**VLBVLB:** Well, as for the chapter length, I tend to end them when I feel its right. And as for developing the relationship between Harry, Hermione, and Ron—that will come gradually, as most of the writing will probably be about them.

**becky:** I will.

**Acacia Jones:** …Cause I said so. : P

**Doneril:** Thanky.

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Mwahahaha!

**LadyLilyPotter:** I believe I will.

**TheLaguna:** Well, I don't think anyone has ever told me that _everyone_ should like my fic… you, my friend, are quickly climbing my favorites chart.

**Melissa37:** Thank ye kindly.

Well, as I told **Volley Ball Chika**, I'm now going to seek help for the touchy feely kind of moment. So I am in search of a beta! If you're interested, say so in a review, but please don't e-mail me, cause I have precious little space in my memory, and I like to keep everything I get. Thank You.

Carpe Diem 

                "Harry? Are you listening?"

            "Huh? Oh, sorry Mione. Guess I just drifted off…" 

            "Harry…Are you alright?" Hermione's face showed her concern for her best friend.

            "I'm fine Mione, just a little tired," he assured her.

            "You haven't been sleeping well, have you? Not that I can blame you."

            "Hermione, I'm fi—" 

            Harry was cut off when Ron exclaimed loudly, "Oi! There you two are! I've been looking all over for you!" 

            "Gee…who would have ever though we'd be in the _Gryffindor common room_, huh Ron?" Hermione said sarcastically. Ron's only response was to roll his eyes.

            "So why were you looking for us anyways, Ron?" asked Harry.

            "No reason really. Just got a bit bored in the library." Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry looked on with amusement.

            "Ron, only you could get bored in a library."

            "Hermione, only _you_ could _not_ be bored in a library."

            Harry sighed and tuned them out as they began another one of their ever-so-famous arguments. Even when they go back in time 19 years, some things don't change.

~*~*~*~*~*

            It was about a half an hour later that the trio was walking down to the Great Hall, with Ron muttering something that sounded vaguely like "mental" under his breath. The hall was empty, as most students would already be at dinner. 

            They entered the Hall and took the only available seats at the Gryffindor table…next to, across from, and diagonal from Peter Pettigrew. Hermione sat next to the rat, while Ron sat across from him and Harry sat diagonal. 

            The trio ate in silence, and all was going well (no one tried to kill Pettigrew yet) until Remus, who was sitting on Pettigrew's other side, suddenly lurched forward, almost hitting his head on the table, and grasped his stomach. Immediately, several pairs of worried eyes were upon him. 

~*~*~*~*~*

            Remus' head was spinning. His stomach felt as it had been punched repeatedly. By a giant. He was sweating and his vision was blurred. He closed his eyes and grasped his stomach. He could hear the voices of his friends calling to him, asking him what was wrong. He was laying on something hard, and he realized he had fallen onto the ground. 

            Suddenly there were cold hands on his forehead and Arabella's voice saying… something. He imagined it was a spell. Arabella's dream was to become a mediwitch, after all. But she couldn't make him better if she didn't know what was wrong with him, and he hoped she didn't, because he knew. Wolf bane.

~*~*~*~*~*

            Arabella gave up on healing spells. They weren't much help when you didn't know what was wrong. She stood up as Madame Pomfrey arrived on the scene and conjured a stretcher. By this point Remus was unconscious. 

            Nobody knew what was wrong, but James had made a point to check when the next full moon was, and it wasn't for another week. For all they knew, Remus had collapsed with no reason, and who knew if he would be okay.

            It was after dinner and James, Sirius, Lily, Belle, Peter, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were walking back to the Gryffindor tower.

            "I always said Gryffindor's were stupid," said a cold voice from behind them.

            Ginny whipped around to face him. "What do you want _Malloy_?" She emphasized his fake last name. Her reward was a cold glare.

            "I'd shut up if I were you _Wesley_. I don't think you want the reason your friend got sick to be spread all over the school, do you?"

            "What are you talking about Malfoy?" asked Hermione. "You know why Remus got sick?"

            Malfoy's expression changed to one of surprise. "You mean, you didn't notice there was wolfs bane on his plate?"

            "Wolfs bane?" Arabella repeated. Everyone but her and Lily seemed to know what was going on. Their faces all showed surprise and…fear? "But wolfs bane… only… work… on…oh." Her eyes widened in shock.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I claim too. Therefore, I can not be sued. :P

**Volley Ball Chika:** Of course I still like you!!! And why wouldn't I accept you to be my beta!? Just send me an e-mail. And the tension was more of me being mad that I'm fourteen and have never had so much as a boyfriend…but…voila! I _do_ now!

**Captain Oblivious:** …Insanity rocks!!!

**ping*pong5:** Help me with my psychiatric sessions?! Yeah right…

**f:** right-o.

**Mel:** Don't worry…he doesn't get seriously injured…and I only have one more incident with him being hurt planned…but it's nothing major. I would like to know, however, what makes you think Rat-Boy put the wolfsbane on Remus' plate?

**TheLaguna:** Fishing for reviews, are we? Anyways, I'm glad you see what's happening…cause I don't. ;o)

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**TaioraCrazedGirl:** Ah, yes, the truth…what a beautiful thing…*cough*

**Aquagurl13:** Right now I'm trying not to write too much about Sirius because I have plans for him, and he will be written about a lot in later chapters.

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Aww…Don't do anything to Malfoy...err…Draco Malfoy, anyways. Do whatever the Hell you want with Lucius. 

**Brit*Kit:** I don't know why people bother telling me too update soon…It obviously doesn't work…

**Hpdancer92:** As soon as I can…okay!

**jandl:** S'ok. A review is a review, no matter when I get it.

Okay…that's it for reviews This chapter…I guess…onto the actual story!

**CarpeDiem**

            Two days later, Lily's head was still spinning with shock. Who could blame her? After all, it wasn't everyday you found out that someone you knew and lived with for over 6 years was a werewolf. 

            _Malfoy's expression changed to one of surprise. "You mean, you didn't notice there was wolfs bane on his plate?"_

            "Wolfs bane?" Arabella repeated. Everyone but her and Lily seemed to know what was going on. Their faces all showed surprise and…fear? "But wolfs bane… only… work… on…oh." Her eyes widened in shock.

            "Wait…wolfbane…what does it do?" Lily asked. She wasn't exactly a potions master, after all.

            "Wolfbane, also known as monkshood, is poison. But it has no effect on humans.It only effects werewolves. She took a deep breath. "Remus is…" She swallowed. "Remus is a werewolf, Lily."

            Lily and Arabella had spent a few hours locked in their dormitory, Hermione and Ginny trying to get them to talk the whole time. But it wasn't until Ginny left for the 6th year dormitory and Hermione had gone down to the common room to talk to Harry and Ron that Lily and Arabella started talking to each other. 

            They had decided that Remus was their housemate, and, more importantly, their friend. They couldn't just turn their backs on him because, one night a month, he turned into something…not human. They couldn't, and they wouldn't.

~*~*~*~*~*

            While Lily and Arabella contemplated their friendship with Remus, James, Sirius, and Peter contemplated revenge. Well…James and Sirius contemplated revenge. Peter just chewed on his bottom lip and looked scared. 

            It didn't take long to decide who had put the wolfbane on Remus' plate. After all, who, besides the Marauders, had known Remus was a werewolf and had cause to harm him? Only one person. Severus Snape. 

            Payback time.

~*~*~*~*~*

            Remus felt like crap. He felt like he used to after he transformed. Before the Marauders. Briefly he wondered if everything had been a dream and he was back in his family's cottage, a little boy again.

            Then he felt a cold hand on his forehead, and Madame Pomfrey talking quietly to someone. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like lead. The owner of the hand must have noticed though, because the hand moved and there was a moment of silence before he felt the edge of a cup pressed to his lips.

            He drank deeply of the warm, rich liquid and presently tried to open his eyes again. To his surprise, Lily Evans was holding the cup. He looked around, and discovered Bella was talking to Madame Pomfrey, but there was nothing unusual about that. Lily was probably just here because Bella was…. Nothing unusual about that. Nothing to suggest they knew…

            But then Madame Pomfrey left the room, and Bella and Lily took chairs on either side of him. They knew. He could tell by their eyes.

            "You don't have to stay here, you know," he said quietly. "I know you know…what I am."

            "Remus…you're right. We know. And we don't have to be here. But we are. Because you're our friend. We aren't just going to forget about you because of something that happens one night a month."

            "Honestly Remy, I though you knew us better than that."

            Remus smiled. It had been hard telling James, Sirius, and Peter, but they had become better friends because of it. He had a felling the same would happen with Arabella and Lily.

~*~*~*~*~*

            It may have been easy for the Marauders to puzzle out who had put the wolfbane on Remus' plate, but some people were not as fully informed. Virginia Weasley, however, was a resourceful girl. She waited outside the dungeon corridor, waiting for a certain blonde haired Slytherin to show himself.

            To Ginny's dismay, the first person to emerge from the corridor opposite her was Lucius Malfoy. Not Draco, like she'd hoped.  

            She attempted to shrink into the shadows, of which there were many, but Malfoys were notorious for spotting those that didn't wish to be spotted. He saw her as soon as she moved. 

            "Well, well, well. If it isn't Hogwarts' newest little Gryffindor." He looked her up and down. "You could almost be a Weasley. But Weasleys have a tendency to be much less…attractive." He sneered as Ginny shuddered in the darkness. She shrank back against the wall and reached for her wand as he started walking towards her. To her dismay it wasn't there!  
  


            Fear seized her heart. What was she going to do!? She was trapped, defenseless, in a deserted corridor with Lucius Malfoy!! He placed one arm on the wall near her head. He was blocking her from escaping! 

            _'Merlin, help me!'_ she thought. Lucius started to lean forward, the sneer now a sinister smirk, when, lo and behold, Ginny heard something she never thought shed be glad to hear. 

            "Aren't Gryffindors a bit below you, Malfoy?" _Draco Malfoy! _ Lucuis straightened, not looking at all pleased.

            "What I do is no business of yours, Malloy," he drawled. 

            "Yes, well I wouldn't chose to do _her_ if I were you. Her brother happens to be the most psychotic person in Hogwarts." Ginny squeaked in protest. "Well, aside from Potter that is." 

            Lucius half turned to walk away, sending a glare at both Draco and Ginny, then stalked down the hall, his robes swirling behind him.

            "Thank you, Draco."

            "What do you want Weasley? I can't believe you came all the way down here for an evening walk," he said, watching as Lucius disappeared around the coner.

            "I wanted to ask you…who put the wolfbane on Remus' plate?"

            He turned to look at her. "What makes you think I would tell you?"

            "I—I just thought—"

            "Thought what? That I'd be nice to you just because we're stuck in this God forsaken time? Don't get any ideas. The only reason I even stopped my father from doing anything to you was because I didn't want the Malfoy line tainted with Weasley blood." With that he turned and walked back down the corridor he had just come from, leaving Ginny alone in the dark.


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I want my baby back, baby back, baby back….I don't own Harry Potter.

Captain Oblivious:  That's all you can come up with?! I can think of many more people who are butts…though they might not be related to Hp….

Mel: Of _course_ it's rat-boy's fault!! Not. He's too stupid to think of it.

TheLaguna: Anytime you want to fish for reviews, feel free to fish here. ^_~

ping*pong5: I think I should be offended you think I need psychiatric help…but oh well.

TaioraCrazedGirl: Yes. Malfoys are mean. 

Volley Ball Chika: Three things.

1.) I broke up with my boyfriend because he annoyed me, and I wish you luck on the no dating thing.

2.) It's ok about the forgetting your ideas…I forgot mine too.

3.) James WAS a chaser!! I looked it up!! 

a.) Nowhere in the books does it say he was a seeker. It just says he was a great Quidditch player. 

b.) In an interview: "**Q: What position did James play on the Gryffindor Quidditch team? Was it Seeker, like Harry, or something different? **JKR**: James was a Chaser."**

jandl: Don't worry. It's coming.

Atlanta-avalon1.1: Of course I've been there! What sort of Harry Potter fan woul I be if I hadn't?!

BluPhEoNiX22: I know, I know. Believe it or not, you're not the only one to tell me to update more often. :-P

A/N: I am sooooooo sorry!!! I'm a very bad author, I know. *smacks self* It's been nearly two months since I last updated….so to make yp for it, I've made the chapter nearly twice as long!! Hope you like it. And remember to review, even if it's just so you can yell at me!

Carpe Diem

            Hermione sat in a chair near the fire, bent over a book, writing on a sheet of parchment. 

            "Hermione, what are you still doing up? It's usually us who stay up late doing our homework," stated Harry.

            "Hmmm?" Hermione said, distracted.

            Ron sat down on the couch and Harry sat on a chair across from her. Harry gently started tugging the book out from under Hermione's arm, successfully gaining her attention. She looked up, startled.

            "Harry!! Don't do that! You scared me!" Harry laughed.

            "Sorry 'Mione, but you seemed to be in another world. What are you doing anyways?"

            Ron picked up the book and read the title. "Time Travel: The Theory. Looking for a way to get us home?"

            Hermione sighed. "Yes, but I can't seem to find anything on time turners. Of course, they are still relatively new…. but you'd think there'd be _something!_"

            "Well, maybe because they're so new…there aren't any books about them," suggested Ron.

            "Or," said Harry, "there just aren't any in the unrestricted section of the library."

            "Of course!! That's it! I mean, it makes sense that students wouldn't be allowed to have access to something that isn't fully researched yet. Even in our time it isn't fully researched, so imagine how much research there would be now!" Hermione, of course, said all of this very fast and there were a few seconds of silence while Ron and Harry tried to work out what she had said.

            "But…how are we going to get into the restricted section? None of the teachers here are exactly Lockhart," Ron said bluntly.

            "My invisibility cloak."

            "Harry, you don't _have_ your invisibility cloak!"

            "_I _may not have it, but my dad does."

            "It's perfect Harry, but now you have to convince James to let you borrow the cloak," Hermione pointed out. "That might not be easy." She picked up her book, closing her parchment inside it. "Now I'm going to bed, and you should too. We have potions tomorrow."

~*~*~*~*~*

            "You want to borrow my cloak? Why?"

            "Err—we wanna sneak into the restricted section of the library."

            "Hmm…I suppose you can…for a price."

            "What?"

            "Tonight, we're going to ambush Snape and the other Slytherins on their way back to their common room after dinner. You have to help."

            Harry thought about it for a moment, knowing Hermione would disapprove. 

            "Alright, Ron and I will help, but Hermione can't know we did. If she finds out, we won't hear the end of it for weeks."

            James smiled. "Don't worry Harry, if Lily finds out I was involved I won't hear the end of it for months. As far as she has to know, it was only Sirius and Peter…And Bella if we can get her to help." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It'd be so much easier to get away with if Remus were out of the hospital wing."

~*~*~*~*~*

            Lily groaned as she made her way through a pile of homework. With N.E.W.T.S. at the end of the year, the teachers were loading it on. Add in her duties as Head Girl, and you have one very big headache. James, however, didn't seem to be having difficulties at all. Even with his Head Boy duties. In fact, he seemed to be having such an easy time of things; she began to wonder if he really did his own work.

            Putting that thought aside, she was about to start on her Transfiguration essay when Arabella plopped down across from her.

            "Lily, my dear, dear, _dear_, friend. Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?" 

            "Yes Bell. Every time you want something. What is it now?"

            Bell smiled sheepishly. "You know me too well. I was simply wondering if I could…copy your potions essay?" 

            Lily groaned. "Bell, you've spent hours in the Library this month, and this is the third time you've asked to copy my homework! What have you been doing?!"

            Was it her imagination, or was Bella blushing? "Uh…you're right Lily. I should be more focused." She was babbling now. "I should spend more time on my homework and I should pay more attention in class and I should take better notes and—"

            "Bell!," Lily interrupted. "That doesn't answer my question. I didn't ask what you need to improve on; I asked what you've been doing with the time you've supposedly been spending on your homework."

            Looking extremely uncomfortable, Bell opened her mouth to answer, but was saved by a loud bang as Sirius Black dropped a large book on the table next to Lily. Lily squeaked in surprise.

            "Hello ladies. How are you on this glorious morning?" He said with his usual lopsided grin.

            "Fine, Sirius," Bell mumbled, before standing up and striding out of the library.

            Sirius stared after her curiously, then turned to Lily and asked, "What was that all about?"

            Lily shook her head and Sirius, looking almost concerned, stood up and walked after Bella. 

            "Lily sighed and went back to her homework.

~*~*~*~*~*

            "Bella!" Arabella could hear Sirius running after her. 

_            What does he want now?_ She wondered. She stopped as he caught up to her.

            "What's wrong, Bell? You seem…depressed." Was it just her, or did he really seem like he cared?

            "Nothing's wrong Sirius. I'm just a bit tired is all," she reassured him.

            He looked doubtful, but nevertheless, he changed the subject. "Well, James, Peter and I were wondering if you'd like to join us in a bit of payback…"

~*~*~*~*~*

            Ron and Harry were crouched in the dark corridor outside the Slytherin dungeons, waiting for them to return from dinner. James and Peter were across from them, and Sirius and Arabella were around the corner.

            To avoid suspicion, they had all gone to diner, but made sure they left before the Slytherins. Now Ron could hear voices coming towards them, and stiffened with anticipation. The thought of being able to curse Snape _and_ Malfoy, not to mention getting revenge for Remus, in one night was more than enough to convince him to do this. Even if his back was beginning to get stiff.

            Harry, on the other hand, while finding the though of cursing Malfoy and Snape appealing, was only there because he knew Hermione wanted to find a way for them to get home. He had realized that, even if she said the best thing to do was let others handle the problem, Hermione loved to feel useful. So if she wanted to feel useful and do research (though he doubted she would find anything), he would get her access to the restricted section.

            As the footsteps came closer, Harry drew out his wand and ran through a list of curses he could use, thinking particularly nasty ones for Malfoy and Snape. He heard one of the Slytherin girls scream as Arabella and Sirius started firing curses into the crowd, and watched as James ran out to join in. Peter, of course, stayed put.

            The plan was that Harry, Ron, and Peter would wait until some of the Slytherins started trying to make a break for their common room, while the other were busy cursing those that tried to fight. 

            Harry felt Ron stiffen next to him as Draco Malfoy's voice echoed through the hall, with a leg-locking curse.

~*~*~*~*~*

            When the Marauders, Harry, and Ron were making their plans, they forgot to take into account one thing. 

            Virginia Weasley.

            Hermione and Lily had gone up to the common room beforehand, luck for the boys, but Ginny had seen them leave, one after another. She had thought it seemed quite suspicious, that they left so soon like that. And, having been around Harry, Ron, and Hermione for so long, she knew how people acted when they were planning something. So she decided to follow Sirius, who had been last. 

            Had she realized that he was going to take a short cut down to the dungeons, she might not have gotten a bit lost and walked right into the middle of a duel.

            Hearing voices, Ginny had followed them to the corridor near the Slytherin dungeon, and nearly had her head taken off by a stray _Locomotor__ Mortis. Cautiously stepping around the corner she ducked to dodge a _stupefy_ and pressed against the wall, surveying the scene._

            Too late she noticed that one of the Slytherin's had cast a Blasting Curse at her. She tensed, expecting to be hit…and instead was suddenly pushed out of the way, causing it to hit the wall. 

            Looking around, Ginny couldn't tell who had pushed her.

~*~*~*~*~*

            Draco sent hexes, curses, and jinxes at the few Gryffindors he saw, but basically, he wasn't doing much, as they were lost in the large group of hectic Slytherins. So instead, he tried to figure out what had drawn him to push the girl out of the way of a Blasting Curse. He knew, of course, that if she had been hit by it, it would have caused her serious harm, but why did he care?

            Suddenly, a cry of, "Professor! Professor!" cut through the noise and the cursing stopped. The only teacher that would be there was the Slytherin Head of House, and he wouldn't care who had started it. Unlike Professor Snape, he didn't favor his own house, and would punish all those involved.

            Malfoy ran for his common room along with everyone else, having no desire to spend the next week in detention.

~*~*~*~*~*

            The next morning, James woke up and Lily was standing over him. He groaned and reached for his glasses.

            "Do you know how much trouble you could have gotten in if you had been caught?! You could have lost your Head Boy badge, you could have been expelled, you could have—"

            "Lily! What are you talking about?!" he asked, feigning confusion. Peter rolled over and muttered something in his sleep.

            "You _know_ what I'm talking about, James Potter. The ambush on the Slytherins last night! I know you were there!"

            "Lily, I really don't know what you're talking about. Honestly, last night I came straight to my dormitory to do some last minute homework. I wasn't involved in any attack on the Slytherins," he said, convincingly. "You can even ask Harry and Ron. I was here all night."

            Lily considered for a moment, then turned and stalked out of the room, leaving a relieved James Potter behind.


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do own Harry Potter!! I do! I do…not. 

Natural_Blue: *reels `em in* :-P

ping*pong5: …You give me leave to take as long as I need too? You really ARE insane!!!! 

Lara Potter: Carpe Diem is Latin for Seize the Day. *joins in on the update dance before realizing she should be writing*

hpdancer92: Yes, you haven't reviewed in a while…you hurt my feelings :'( 

TheLaguna: Ah yes…I definitely need luck…to avoid getting attacked by insane reviewers…and their "friends" *cough**Mel**cough* 

Mel: Um…sure. Whatever you say, Mel dear. J

jandl: Alright. I'm back to one month. Which is normal. :-P

Atlanta-avalon1.1: Holy cow?! Where?! Poor cow…

spirit: Aww…thankies for reading, Ritkins. Now…READ THE REST OF IT!!!!!!! ^-^

BabyGirl514: You know, if you light my house on fire while I'm sleeping, I guarantee you the smoke alarm wouldn't wake me up and I would die. So…no more story anyways. :-P

Somuchtosay: Sly baby, you can't have Marauders without Snape bashing. But I'll try to keep it down…a little. For you.

cornish-pixy: No h/g. h/g icky. h/hr. g/d. 

Carpe Diem

            The day after the Gryffindor attack on the Slytherins, Remus was released from the Hospital Wing. To his disappointment, his friends hadn't come to meet him.

            When he arrived in the common room it was empty besides a few first and second years. _Of course,_ he thought, _today is a Hogsmeade trip…but the carriages don't leave fro half an hour._ He hurried up to the dorm, hoping to find his friends getting ready.

            Remus opened the door and immediately got hit with a pillow. "Remus!" exclaimed two anxious voices, though one of them was rather muffled. James was sitting in the middle of the room on top of a moving pile of blankets and pillows that seemed to contain Sirius. Across the room Harry was just rolling out of bed and the curtains to Ron's bed were still closed. Soft snoring was coming from Peter's bed.

            James suddenly flew forward and Sirius lunged from the pile. Standing up, he grinned at Remus, and then suddenly pouted. "You were supposed to wait for us to come get you, Remmy. We were gonna surprise you."

            "Uh…sorry Sirius, but I just couldn't wait to get out from under Madame Pomfrey. I think I see more than enough of her normally." Said Remus, grinning.

            "Welcome back, Remus," Harry said through a yawn, walking towards Ron's bed. He pulled open the curtains and Ron groaned as the light hit him then rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head. Harry pulled the pillow away from his and poked him hard on the back. "Get up Ron. We have to meet Hermione and Ron, or they'll have your head."

            "Alright, alright…. wait! Why just my head?" Ron asked.

            Harry grinned mischievously. "Because I'll make sure they know it was your fault."

            Remus laughed. _They really do seem like James and Sirius._ He frowned, his thoughts being brought back to something he had been pondering. _Why do they look at Sirius and James like they've seen a ghost? And why do they always glare at Peter…What could possibly happen in the future to—_ Remus was knocked out of his thoughts when another pillow hit him full in the face.

            "Remus, get in here and get ready, or t least close the door so the rest of us can get dressed!" Remus sighed and closed the door, giving up on the problem for now.

~*~*~*~*~*

            Hermione woke up early that morning. She quickly dressed and went down to the common room to wait for the others to be ready. She had been waiting about half an hour when a girlish giggle caught her attention. Looking over she saw the future Mr. And Mrs. Longbottom sitting on the couch and felt a pang of sorrow.

            It was so sad to know what would happen to them. To know what would become of them and their son…Hermione had to bite back a sob at the thought Neville. He had been hurt defending Hermione…knocked unconscious…and it was unclear whether he would ever wake up.

            Harry and Ron came down the stairs to the boys' dormitories and she stood up to meet them. She tried to smile, but they knew her too well.

            "What's wrong, Hermione?"

            "Are you alright?"

            Hermione nodded and looked at the ground. "Let's go get some breakfast before we leave." The future was a sad place.

~*~*~*~*~*

            Draco Malfoy sat in the Great Hall, eating breakfast. Well…pretending to eat breakfast, anyways. He was actually watching a certain redhead at the Gryffindor table. 

            Try as he might, he couldn't get Ginny Weasley out of his head. Why did he continue to help her? He didn't really care about what happened to her…but, if he didn't care, why did he do things like save her from a curse, and even his own father? She seemed so fragile…defenseless. Draco knew better, of course, having had personal experience with her Bat Bogey Hex, but something about her made him want to protect her…. Draco wasn't blind and could see that she had become quite an attractive young woman, but he also knew very well what lust felt like, and this wasn't it. Besides…he couldn't be attracted to a _Weasley_. 

            Suddenly disturbed at the turn his thoughts had taken, Draco instead focused on mutilating his pancakes.

~*~*~*~*~*

            The Three Broomsticks was packed with Hogwarts students at noon that day. Arabella had to fight her way through the crowd to get inside the place, and even then she couldn't find a table. After five minutes of being pushed around by the crowd, Arabella had nearly given up and left when she heard someone calling her name. Making her way over to the voice, Arabella found Sirius Black sitting in a corner with a table all to his self.

            When she sat down he asked, "Where's Lily?"

            Bella looked at him in surprise. "She went to meet James, didn't you know?"

            Sirius frowned, then sighed. "James told me he forgot something somewhere and to go on without him." He chuckled a little. "I do believe I've been ditched."

            "I know how you feel…ever since James and Lily started going out I feel like she's spending more time with him than she is with me. I guess I shouldn't complain, though. I was the one that made her go on a date with him. I honestly didn't think anything would actually happen between them, though. I just thought he might leave her alone if she went on a date with him."

            "James has been in love with Lily for years. I should be happy for him…but I feel like I'm losing my best friend." Sirius added.

            "Where are Remus and Peter?" 

            "They went to Honeydukes, then they're going to Zonkos."

            "So its just us, then…" Arabella sighed again.

            Sirius picked up his mug. "To us," he said, clanking it against her mug, then took a giant gulp.

~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Ok…that's all for now, folks. Review! And if you have any ideas, tell me and I'll consider them if they fit in with my plot (which is very broad at the moment). If they don't then…thanks anyways.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** Alas, I am not JK Rowling; therefore, I do not own Harry Potter.

**Mel:** Call you insane? Never! *tries to look innocent and fails spectacularly* And thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I'll be sure to consider them. ;-)

**jandl:** Um…yes…that's totally what I was trying to do…*cough*

**hpdancer92:** S'ok. You're forgiven for not reviewing. This time.

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Hehe. If you liked that scene, just wait till I get to some of my major plot points. MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

**Captain Oblivious:** Oh dear…he won't be very happy when he wakes up, will he? I suppose I'll have to get some smelling salts…I should just keep some on hand for incidents like this.

**Somuchtosay:** Of course he looks good in pink…if you're into that :-P

**Lara Potter:** A magenta bow tie?!?! I deserve a magenta bow tie?!?!?!?!!? I feel so appreciated…*sniffle*

            Ok…only a few weeks since I updated this time!! Not a whole month!! Aren't you all so happy?! :-D 

            I was a bit disappointed that no one commented on the Neville thing…but, alas, I suppose I can't have everything.

            Alright…it's been about nine months since book five came out, and if you haven't read it yet, you probably aren't a big enough fan to be reading fan fiction. So, this is the chapter where Spoilers start.

**Carpe Diem**

          Harry sat alone in the common room, everyone else having gone to bed already. As he sat, staring at the flames, all of the thoughts he had been trying so hard to avoid over the last month came crashing down on him.

            _Sirius._ The image of Sirius falling through the veil, the expression on his face as he fell…Harry could remember it like it had only happened yesterday. He should. He had dreamt of it almost every night since. And the nights he didn't, his dreams were haunted by images of Cedric, or his parents. 

            So many people had suffered at the hands of Voldemort, and Harry had met many of them in the last month. It wasn't fair! Why did innocent people have to suffer like that?! They hadn't done anything wrong. Harry had spoken with both Frank and Alice Longbottom. Frank was so cheery…and Alice was so bubbly and innocent…

            _Mom…Dad…_ His parents…he had never known them as such. Now he knew them as teenagers, his own age. They, too, were happy, carefree, innocent…Harry felt a sudden stab of grief tinged with jealousy. _He_ had never had that chance. 

            _Remus._ Poor Remus…his friends dead or traitors. No sooner had he regained a friend that he lost him again. In his own time, Harry's former professor was slowly dying, and they all knew it. He was slowly being worn down by his lycanthropy, and he had no one to help him. Of course, Harry, Ron, Hermione and the other Order members were there for him, but it wasn't the same.

            _Ron…_ They had been through so much together. Best friends since the day they had met, Ron had stood by him through everything. And because of Harry, he had experienced so much pain…

            _Hermione…_ Harry honestly didn't know his thoughts about Hermione. Once, he could have simply called her one of his best friends and left it at that, but now…he wasn't sure. He noticed he spent a rater lot of time thinking about her, and she could comfort him when no one else could…He'd do anything to make her smile. To keep her safe. 

            Harry looked down and squeezed his eyes close. He hadn't been able to protect her! When it came down to it, he hadn't been the one to keep her safe, and because he failed, someone else was lying in a hospital bed, unconscious. Thoughts of that horrible day drifted through his head. The day Voldemort had fallen. The day they had lost every shred of innocence they had left.

_            Harry spun around, looking for a sign, anything that might tell him where they were. He had to find them. He knew the penalty for failure, and that was_ not_ an option. Suddenly the silence was pierced by a shrill scream from the corridor on his left._

Hermione!_ He thought, frantically. He ran down the corridor as fast as his legs would carry him, searching for any sign of his friends. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he stopped in front of the only door that had light behind it. Throwing caution to the wind, he slammed the door open and saw—_

            "Harry? What are you still doing up?"

            Harry's head snapped up at the sound of Hermione's voice. "I could ask you the same thing."

            She smiled slightly and sat down next to him. "I couldn't sleep…bad dreams…"

            Harry nodded. "I know what you mean. It's being here, with all of them. I can't help but think about everything…" He trailed off, not wanting to touch upon the subject. The truth was, since it happened, not once had they mentioned it.

            They sat in silence for a while longer, simply taking comfort in the others' presence.

            "Hermione?" Harry asked quietly.

            "Yes Harry?" She said, just as quietly.

            "Am I a bad son?"

            Hermione started. She had _not_ been expecting that. "Why would you think that, Harry?"

            "Because…I miss my parents, Hermione. I've always wished that I could have had my parents, but…I miss Sirius more."

            Hermione's heart contracted painfully. Poor Harry…he'd lost everyone he loved in his life. It was in that moment, as she looked at him, with his head still bowed and the firelight flickering on his face, that Hermione vowed he would never lose her, no matter what happened. She would be there for him, and nothing short of death could stop her.

            "No Harry. You're not a bad son. You never knew your parents. You never knew what they were like. But you knew Sirius. You had a chance to love him before he was taken from you. No, you're not a bad son. You're human."

            Harry smiled slightly, and the two lapsed back into a comfortable silence.

            Neither of them noticed as a shocked Arabella Figg stumbled her way back to her dormitory.

~*~*~*~*~*

            A/N: I had fully intended to write more for this chapter, but I thought that this would be a wonderful place to end it, don't you think? Well, actually you probably don't and I'm sure you're all cursing me now, but remember, anything happens to me the story stops altogether. :-P Now review.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer:** *sigh* I don't own Harry Potter, unfortunately. Though I wouldn't mind borrowing Draco for a little while...

**Captain Oblivious:** It was too! Granted it would have been better if I updated sooner, but I thought it was a nice little cliffy!

**hpdancer92:** I think outside the box ^_^

**Volley Ball Chika:** I should make you my official announcer. You do such a wonderful job!

**Atlanta-avalon1.1:** Yes.....poor Bella. What shall she do? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. 

**Mel:** Eep! No! I need her for the story! She's an integral part of the plot. 

**jandl:** I love it when reviewers agree with me...

**Lara Potter:** A neon yellow rabbit? Oh I feel so loved! *is overcome by emotion*

**Jade Danielle:** You call me names in #hogsmeade? But...but...but...I thought you lurved me! :'( *cries hysterically*

**Carpe Diem**

            Sirius was felling pretty pleased with himself, having just rigged the entrance to the Slytherin Common room to spray red paint on anyone who came within five feet of it. A particularly advanced charm, usually only used by professionals.

            So wrapped up in his success, Sirius barely noticed Arabella until he had nearly walked into her. She was walking in a daze, not seeming to see where she was going. Sirius frowned. She had been like that for the last three days. Determined to find out what was wrong, Sirius reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

            She spun around so fast that he was nearly knocked off his feet. "S-Sirius!" she gasped. "Don't sneak up on me like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

            "Sneak up on you? Bella, the way you're going around a herd of elephants could sneak up on you. What's wrong with you lately?" he said, a bit harsher than he had meant to. He regretted it when she turned away from him, her head down. Something was obviously deeply upsetting her, and he had to go be a prat and yell at her.

            "Bell, please tell me what's wrong," he continued more gently. "I-I don't like to see you like this." He gently turned her around to face him, but she remained looking at the ground. 

            "I can't tell you, Sirius. I...I just can't. It wouldn't be right," she said quietly. She leaned forward so her forehead was resting on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "But I want you to promise me something. Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll be happy."

            Sirius frowned. This was definitely not like Arabella. But he said, "I promise," anyways. "But you have to promise to get over whatever it is that's bugging you. I'd feel guilty pulling a prank on you if you weren't feeling up to returning the favor."

            Arabella looked up at him and frowned. "Who said I wasn't feeling up to it?"

            Sirius grinned. "Well no one, of course. I simply assumed because you were walking around like a zombie you might not feel like hexing me. Not that I'm complaining or anything."

            Arabella, the mischievous glint back in her eyes, tried to back away from Sirius, but was stopped by his arms, which were still wrapped around her waist.

            "Sirius, you can let go now."

~*~*~*~*~*

             "I think I know how we can get back to our own time," Hermione stated, whispering so no one outside the group would hear. "All we have to do is recreate the circumstances that got us here, and, combined with a spell, we should be able to go home.

            Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting in a secluded corner of the common room, where Hermione had told them to meet.

            "That's great, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, not noticing that Hermione didn't look too thrilled with her discovery.

            "But..." Harry prompted.

            "But...we'd need a time turner."

            "Well that's no problem. I'm sure if we told Dumbledore he'd get one for us," said Ginny.

            "I'm sure he would, Ginny. But the problem is the type of time turner we used doesn't exist yet!"

            There was a momentary silence before Harry spoke up. "You mean...we're stuck here? We can't get back home?"

            "Well...not necessarily. This is just one way to get home. There could be others."

            Ron sighed. "Bloody Hell."

~*~*~*~*~*

            _"Father? What's going on?"_

_            "Draco, its time for you to join our cause. Our Lord is going to get rid of Potter once and for all tonight. It will be your initiation," his father answered, facing the fireplace._

_            "My...initiation?_

_            "Is there something wrong with your ears, Draco? Your initiation. All you have to do is kill one of Potter's friends. Perhaps the mudblood...Yes, I think it would be fitting."_

_            "You want me to kill Granger? Tonight? But Father—"_

_            Lucius turned angry eyes on his son. "You will do it, Draco, and you will like it! Our Lord is being most generous in his offer to let you join us tonight, when you are still young. You should be grateful."_

_            He swallowed. "I am, Father. I was just...unprepared."_

            Draco opened his eyes, and then closed them again when his head started pounding. That had been the night the Dark Lord had been killed. And Draco couldn't have been happier. He hadn't even had to start his initiation. The fighting had started and he had been pushed to the side and forgotten about. 

Truthfully, Draco's stomach had churned at the thought of killing someone, and he had been sick almost immediately after leaving his father that day.

            He would have laughed it if weren't for his aching body. That had been the last time he spoke to his father. He was rotting in a cell in Azkaban by the next morning.

            Draco was just thinking about how his father was fairing surrounded by Dementors when a wave of nausea rolled over him.

            _I should go to the Hospital Wing._ He got up to go, but was immediately dizzy. Sitting back down, he closed his eyes until the world stopped spinning, then tried again. This time he managed to stand and start walking shakily out of the deserted common room. 

            What seemed like an eternity later he made it out of the dungeons, and found himself in a deserted corridor, where he promptly collapsed. He lay there on the floor for a while, delighting in the feel of the cold floor on his hot skin, and wondering where everyone was, thankful they couldn't see him. Suddenly he heard footsteps and struggled to get up, not wanting anyone to see him so weak. 

            He had barely made it to his knees when Ginny Weasley walked around the corner. She didn't see him at first, but as she walked past him a bit or torch light glinted off his hair, and she gasped. 

            "My God! Draco, are you alright?" She knelt down and felt his forehead. "You're burning up! Let me help you to the hospital wing."

            Draco tried to protest, but, for the life of him, he couldn't think of a reason too. And her hand felt so cool against his forehead...

            So, with Draco half leaning on Ginny and Ginny half leaning on the wall, they slowly made there way to the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey took him from her.

            Draco woke up the nest morning thinking about the strange dream he had had the night before. The one with the Red Haired Angel.

~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Alright, the bit with Draco and Ginny was completely unplanned and therefore sucks miserably. I only wrote it because I wanted to make the chapter longer. Think of how short it would have been otherwise! And, for those of you who didn't catch that, it wasn't really a dream. Draco just thinks it was. ;)


	13. Author's Note

I'm rather ashamed of myself at this point, but I'm abandoning this fic for now. I plan to someday come back and finish it, but for now, its on hiatus. When I started this fic I was completely obsessed with Harry Potter, but now days....not so much. I apologize profusely to my fans and beg forgiveness. Perhaps before this summer is over I'll be struck by inspiration and begin writing again, but don't hold your breath.  
  
Sorry, Angl 


End file.
